Monthly Community Suppers The 15th of every month

Free to All

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Call/email for reservations

A monthly publication of the Somers Congregational Church, UCC December, 2012 Gathered in Somers, Connecticut, March 15, AD 1727 Volume 285 Number 12

The Reverend Dr. Barry Cass, Pastor

Church Email Addresses:

Barry Cass - bcass@somerscongregational.org Carly Sanborn - somerscong@somerscongregational.org Jacqueline Nappi - jnappi@somerscongregational.org Liz Scanlon - lscanlon@somerscongregational.org Barbara Anderson - careroom@somerscongregational.org

Website:

www.somerscongregational.org

The First Sunday of each month is

Name Badge Sunday!

Be known! Wear your Name Badge.

No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.

Services will all be held in the Auditorium in the

Community Education Building on the Johnson

Memorial Medical Center campus.

5:30 - Family Worship - Interactive service suitable

to the whole family and kids of all ages! There is

usually a little more noise at this service, but it is

perfect for wiggling and moving around.

7:30 - Service of Lessons and Carols - The Gospel

story of the birth of our Savior is read and there are

anthems by the choir and guest musicians and lots of

carols sung.

11:00 - Communion Service - We share the story of

Jesus' birth and usher in Christmas with the

celebration of Holy Communion.

Welcome to Advent! This year Advent begins on December 2 and

lasts through Christmas Eve. It is a time of preparation for the

coming or the Messiah into our lives. There is always a temptation

to rush through Advent, to get on to Christmas, but as with most

things, here again preparation is important. How ready are we to

welcome Jesus Christ into our lives? In our day to day lives, where

do we find room of Jesus, for the presence of God? It is a good to

take some time to slow down, get away from the madness of the commercial and secular Christmas around us

and focus on what the meaning of the season really is.

At its heart Christmas is not about the shopping and the card sending and the gift exchange. Ultimately

it is not about shared meals or long trips to visit family. The heart of Christmas is to be found in the message of

the scripture that tells us when the world was most separated from God, when people had turned away from the

call of God, God came to us. Our lives have meaning because God, in the person of Jesus Christ, entered our

lives, forgave our sins and incorporated us into the family of God. Each of our lives has eternal significance

because each has been touched, embraced and blessed by God who came among us.

There are some simple ways to stand against the commercialization and secularization of Christmas.

The first and most obvious is to not participate in them. Decide not to be drawn into competitive gift exchange.

Repeat – if only to yourself – the truth that Christmas means God became human so that each human could

become closer to God. Do not let anything interfere with your worship of God and Jesus Christ through the

Advent and Christmas seasons.

You can also take positive steps. Make sure to be present as the church community shares the story and

prepares for the coming of Christ. Let others know that this year there is nothing more important to you than

recognizing the real meaning of Christmas, that being in worship as each of the four Advent Candles is lit is a

priority; that other things will fall into place behind your commitment to share with the church community as

we all prepare our spirits to welcome the Savior into our lives. Discover how meaningful Christmas can be

when you have been a part of the preparation through Advent and see how God intends your life to be changed

by the presence of Christ with you.

Finally, take the time to focus on the message and the story of Christmas by reading, by yourself or with

others, the Gospel message – The Good News of Great joy – that is intended to touch you and change you.

Peace - - - Barry

The Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ from Luke 2:1-20 In those days a decree went out from Emperor

Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2

This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius

was governor of Syria. 3

All went to their own towns to be registered. 4

Joseph also went from the town of

Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house

and family of David. 5

He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a

child. 6

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7

And she gave birth to her firstborn

son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the

inn.

8

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9

Then an

angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10

But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the

people: 11

to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12

This will be a

sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger." 13

And suddenly there was

with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14

"Glory to God in the highest

heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!"

15

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go now to

Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us." 16

So they went with

haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17

When they saw this, they made known

what had been told them about this child; 18

and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19

But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20

The shepherds returned, glorifying

and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

The Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ from Matthew 2:1-12 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was

born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2

asking, "Where is the child who has

been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3

When

King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4

and calling together all the chief

priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 5

They told him, "In

Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 6

'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are

by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people

Israel.'" 7

Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had

appeared. 8

Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you

have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage."

9

When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its

rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10

When they saw that the star had stopped, they

were overwhelmed with joy. 11

On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt

down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense,

and myrrh. 12

And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by

another road.

BOOK GROUP

Tuesday, December 11 – 7 P.M. -- Open to EVERYONE!

December's book is

The End of Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe

“What are you reading?”

That’s the question Will Schwalbe asks his mother, Mary Anne, as they sit in the waiting room of the Memorial

Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. In 2007, Mary Anne returned from a humanitarian trip to Pakistan and

Afghanistan suffering from what her doctors believed was a rare type of hepatitis. Months later she was

diagnosed with a form of advanced pancreatic cancer, which is almost always fatal, often in six months or less.

This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a “book club” that brings them together as her

life comes to a close. Over the next two years, Will and Mary Anne carry on conversations that are both wide-

ranging and deeply personal, prompted by an eclectic array of books and a shared passion for reading. Their list

jumps from classic to popular, from poetry to mysteries, from fantastic to spiritual. The issues they discuss

include questions of faith and courage as well as everyday topics such as expressing gratitude and learning to

listen. Throughout, they are constantly reminded of the power of books to comfort us, astonish us, teach us, and

tell us what we need to do with our lives and in the world. Reading isn’t the opposite of doing; it’s the opposite

of dying. Will and Mary Anne share their hopes and concerns with each other—and rediscover their lives—

through their favorite books. When they read, they aren’t a sick person and a well person, but a mother and a

son taking a journey together. The result is a profoundly moving tale of loss that is also a joyful, and often

humorous, celebration of life: Will’s love letter to his mother, and theirs to the printed page.

At a special congregational meeting on November 18, with

more than 75 members attending, the motion passed for

the congregation to approve a Capital Campaign to raise

the necessary funds for the completion of our new

Meeting House. We know there will likely be a gap

between the insurance settlement and what it will cost

for new construction. The insurance policy will pay the

cost to replace the previous building, though this may be significantly different

than the actual cost of the new meeting house. The Church Council is moving

ahead to hire a consultant from United Church of Christ Capital Campaign

Services to assist with the campaign after the goal of the campaign is decided.

Thank You from Afghanistan! The Mission Board sponsored a “Proud to be American”

collection from July 4th

to Labor Day for members of the

military stationed in Afghanistan. The Mission Board’s

contact was Janice Morton’s cousin, First Sergeant Dawn

Adams who, along with Capt. Tew, is in command of the

287 members of the 2nd

Marine Logistics Group – Combat

Logistics Battalion 2. When Janice contacted Dawn

regarding our church’s collection, this was Dawn’s response:

“Thank you for thinking about including the Marines from my unit in what your church is doing! That is so

awesome and so very much needed. When deployed we often receive care packages with food items that have

already spoiled and junk food. Most Marines are healthy eaters and they do not care for junk foods. The things

that most Marines look forward to are hygiene items such as tooth paste, soap, mouth wash and tooth brushes.

Items such as those and others that are handmade i.e. knitted blankets, handmade pillows and craft type items.

It’s very comforting and heart felt when Marines receive things like that. It’s not as if we aren't given those

items pillows, blankets or a sleeping bag. It’s just some Marines have no immediate family and when they

receive items like that I know that it makes their efforts there more meaningful knowing that someone out there

may actually care about them and what they are doing. I cannot express how grateful my Marines will be to

receive a care package from your church. My Captain and I will have 287 Marines under our charge while we

are there in Afghanistan. I would also like you to extend a warm thank you laden with heartfelt gratitude to

your church family.”

– First Sergeant Dawn Adams, 2nd

Marine Logistics Group – Combat Logistics Battalion 2

Our church’s response was wonderful and the Mission board was able to ship twelve boxes of hygiene items

and small comfort gifts to Dawn’s Marine unit! Janice received an email from First Sergeant Dawn Adams

with a thank you from Combat Logistics Battalion 2:

“Janice, the Marines were so excited today when we received the items. We are planning to take some items out

to a few remote sites! The Marines out there are going to be so happy. The disposable razors are going to be a

huge deal for them. Please extend a warm thank you to your church members from the Marines of Combat

Logistics Battalion 2! The smiles were endless today! I will write again soon. Please have a wonderful day!

Lots of love to everyone,”

– Dawn

The Missions Board wishes to thank everyone in our church community who responded to the call for our

troops in Afghanistan. As they serve our country in a remote land, it is heartwarming to see our church

members thank them. As you can see, it was truly appreciated.

Coffee Hour Hosts Have you ever thought about hosting Coffee Hour but you’re afraid of what it might entail? It’s really not difficult. We ask you to make a pot of coffee (step by step instructions are listed), hot water, purchase 1 1/2 qts of half & half, 1 - 2 gallons of apple, white grape juice or lemonade, and “treats” if desired. There are 3 totes labeled “Coffee Hour” in the storage closet across from the kitchen at JMH Education Center. Bring them out to the lobby and everything else you need is in those totes. We have extra copies of the instruction sheet if you’d like to take one home a week or 2 in advance to look over. There is always a member of the Reception Committee or Deacons available to assist in any questions you may have. We promise, it’s really not difficult! Just be at church by 9:15am to start the coffee. If you have any questions please see me or any other members of the committee listed below. Thank you in advance for your consideration! Laurie Gorski (chairperson) Evelyn Higginbotham Charissa Holmes

Dee Moak

2012 Nativity Display

Once again this year the Advent and Christmas Seasons will find the church teeming with Nativity sets from all

over the world. This event, which is open from December 9 through January 6 has been growing in popularity

through the years.

This will be the 20th

year we have had the display and though we are facing unique challenges this year, we are

hoping for another success.

In order to be ready for the opening on December 9, we need many hands between December 2 and 8. There

will be people working mornings, afternoons and evenings throughout the week. If you area available please

join us at any time during the week. We will also welcome volunteers during the hours we are open to serve as

greeters for our guest.

OPEN - 1 to 4 P.M. Sunday, December 9

5 to 7 P.M. Tuesday, December 11

4 to 7 P.M. Saturday December 15

1 to 4 P.M Sunday December 16

4 to 6 P.M. Wednesday December 19

1 to 4 P.M Sunday, December 23

When the Office is Open Monday thru Thursday

10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

Worship at Blair Manor On the Second Tuesday of each month our church is responsible for a worship

service at Blair Manor. Led by our pastor, worship begins at 10:30 A.M. and lasts

about a half hour. We are fortunate that Anne Larson accompanies the group in

singing two hymns most months. Other members and friends of the church are more

than welcome to join us, to be a part of the service and to add voices to the singing.

If you have any questions, talk to Barry.

The next Blair Manor worship service will be Tuesday, December 11 at 10:30 A.M.

Receiving the Sacrament of Baptism in November:

Michael Joseph Scata Jr. was born on April 12, 2012. His parents are Kristin

Birkenshaw and Michael Scata. His godparents are Kaitlyn Campbell and

Anthony Scata.

Kiara Anne Malley was born on August 17, 2012. Her parents are Lindsay and

Edward Malley.

Altar Flowers for the Month of December December 2 Altar Flowers this morning are given by The Andersons, Barbara, Eric, and Sons in loving memory of Edna and Fred Pellissier

December 9 Altar Flowers this morning are given in loving memory of Ken Haase, loving husband to Nancy Haase, and father & grandfather to Donna, Paul, Amanda and Alyssa Milliken December 16 OPEN December 23 Altar Flowers this morning are given by Bill and Anne Kirkpatrick in loving memory of Anne’s parents, Robert and Virginia Bower, and Bill’s parents, Jim and Sally Kirkpatrick December 30 OPEN

It is our custom that altar flowers are donated in memory of or in honor of loved ones. Arrangements can be bought or hand-done. An individual or a group of individuals can donate them.

There can be more than one bouquet on any given Sunday. If you would like to give flowers for the altar in December, please call Claudette Colby (860-749-3570)

Field of Flags The Field of Flags with 6,623 flags were at the

Branford First Congregational Church in Branford during November. The church held

a special dedication ceremony with the Governor's Foot Guard participating as the color guard unit. The flags survived hurricane Sandy and also the snow storm the following week. The 25 member St. Luke's Steel Band from New

Haven sponsored a concert at the First Congregational Church on November 3rd with proceeds going to the Field of Flags. The flags will now rest for the winter and will be taken to the Farmington Hills Church of God in Farmington Hills, Michigan in March for the first church

location in 2013.

Weekly Scripture Readings for December 2012

* passage that will be Church School's prime focus for the week

**passage that will be Church School's secondary focus for the week

December 1 (Communion Sunday) First Sunday of Advent

Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Thessalonians 3:9-12 Luke 21:25-36

December 9 Second Sunday of Advent

Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6

December 16 Third Sunday of Advent

Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18

December 23 - Fourth Sunday of Advent

Micah 5:2-5a Luke 1:46b-55 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:39-55

December 30 - First Sunday after Christmas

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52

Kit Devlin and Kathy Moulton are the coordinators for Champ's Place,

our church's food pantry. They have made a request for monetary

donations for Champ's Place in lieu of donating groceries. The reason

being is they have the ability to purchase grocery items at Foodshare

in bulk at a much reduced rate. For instance, $120 at Foodshare can

buy 1,400 lbs. of food! As you can see, collectively our monetary

donations will go a lot further to help feed the 120 people/week who

receive food at Champ's Place. You can make monetary donations to the food pantry by writing

checks to "Somers Congregational Church" with "Champ's Place" in the memo section. You will

be helping many families have a warm meal right here in our community!

Somers Congregational United Church of Christ

Free CANDLELIGHT Community Supper

Saturday, December 15th

In ROOM 206 at the Church

EVERYONE is invited to share this free Community Supper and

to enjoy the fellowship and good time.

Bring your family and friends

Let us know you are coming by signing up at church, or calling or e-mailing the church office.

The Church Council will be our hosts and providing a special candlelight roast beef supper.

Let us know you are coming by signing up at church, or calling or e-mailing the church office.

Hosts are still needed for January and February. If you are interested in hosting please contact the church office.

Sunday School Calendar

Dec. 2 Sunday School / Communion (Grades 6-8 stay in Church)

Dec. 9 Sunday School

Dec. 16 Christmas Pageant during worship

Dec. 23 Family Worship (children stay in church)

Dec. 30 No Sunday School

A Big Thank You to everyone who helped

with the Thanksgiving for Kids event. Thank you to all the

crew leaders, the station advisers, the confirmands, the snack

providers, the set up and clean up helpers and to all those

who stepped in to help wherever it was needed. We had 67

children attend. It was a great day and a lot of fun!

Christmas Craft

Join us on Sunday, December 2 following the 10 am service at Johnson’s to make

clothespin nativities and reindeer ornaments. Please email me or call the church

office to sign up.

Christmas Pageant

Our Christmas Pageant will be held on Sunday, December 16, during our 10 am

service at Johnson’s. There are many speaking and non- speaking parts. Please fill

out a Christmas Pageant form with your child’s first and second choice parts listed.

Main character parts will be chosen by lottery on Sunday, December 2.

Also, please let me know if you are interested in bringing a dozen cookies for

coffee hour that Sunday.

We will be rehearsing the pageant after church on Sunday, December 9.

Welcome to Nicole Caron who has begun teaching Sunday

School in grades 6, 7 & 8.

Liz Scanlon,

Christian Education Director

Vacation Bible School 2013 ~ Kingdom Rock ~ June 24 – 28

Somers Congregational Church

Christmas Pageant Sunday, December 16, 2012 during the 10:00 A.M. Service

Parent Name:___________________________________________Phone:____________

Would you be willing to bring one dozen cookies for coffee hour? ____yes _____no

Student Name: _______________________________________________Grade:______

1st Choice Part:_____________________________________

2nd Choice Part:____________________________________

Student Name: _______________________________________________Grade:______

1st Choice Part:_____________________________________

2nd Choice Part:____________________________________

Student Name: _______________________________________________Grade:______

1st Choice Part:_____________________________________

2nd Choice Part:____________________________________

****Please note that children should arrive by 9:30AM to get in costume****

List of Parts

Narrators (six)

Main Characters (size 10 or higher)*

Mary

Joseph

Inn Keeper

Three Wisemen

Animals (sheep, goats, donkeys in sizes 3-6)

Angels (boys or girls in sizes 3-14)

Shepherds (boys or girls in sizes 8-14)

*Main Character parts will be chosen by lottery on Sunday, December 2

Council Corner November 13, 2012

Items from Storage. The 50 boxes in Room 217 in Bugbee Center that contained

nativities have all been unpacked and sorted. Help will be needed to help set up the

nativities after the bazaar on December 1st. Look for the article in Highlights. The

other items in rooms 211 have all been unpacked and books returned to the shelves in

room 206. Many volunteers have helped with all the unpacking and sorting.

Restoration Committee update. The staff has moved back into the church offices on the first floor and are almost

all settled in. The Photography Show sponsored by the Music and Arts Board has given the first floor a welcoming

feeling and has encouraged people to come and see the restored church office building. The Church Council was the

first group to use Room 206 again for group meetings. There are still items on the punch list for the second floor

which hopefully will be addressed the last week in November by Green Construction. Once this is done, the

restoration work by Green Construction will be completed.

Building Committee update. The Building Committee meets Tuesday mornings with Hugh Schweitzer (architect)

and Noel Petra (construction). (see article by Mark Marshall).

Community Supper. The Church Council will sponsor December. The December supper will be a candlelight supper

and will be held upstairs in the church office building in Room 206 and the Care Room. January, February and

March are all open for community supper hosts.

Building Fund. The Church Council approved $8,225.30 for New England Communications for the new phone system,

wiring and internet expansion to Bugbee Center; $515.59 for Building Committee expenses; $365.03 for misc.

expenses for the Church Office Building; $2,325.00 to Green Construction (for new wall in Care Room and new

south walls in hall on both floors) for a total of $11,433.92.

Online donations. Paperwork is being submitted to Vanco, which will allow people to make donations to our Building

Fund using a credit card. They will be able to do it through the church website or go directly to the link for Vanco.

Vanco will send a monthly check to us.

Special Congregational Meeting. The Church Council reviewed the Building Fund information that will be presented

at the congregational meeting. Rick Skodinski will provide the information chart on insurance money that has been

spent on each building.

Capital Campaign. The council will hire Susan Mitchell as our Capital Campaign consultant if the congregation

approves a capital campaign. We will need to know the goal in order to sign a contract. Anyone interested in being

on the Capital Campaign Executive Committee or one of the subcommittees should contact Barry or Anne

Kirkpatrick.

Annual Congregational Meeting. The council decided that the annual meeting will be held on Sunday, January 27th

following the 10 am worship service. The meeting of committees to elect officers and decide meeting time will

immediately follow the annual meeting.

Internet access in church office building and Bugbee Center: access key is sccpublic599

Smoking Area: This was discussed and a decision was made that when we have the new church completed that a

designated Smoking Area on the south corner exit by the Bank aka the exit door of the Foundation Room will be

the smoking area instead of the entrance to the church office building. Signage will be needed for areas that are

designated as Non Smoking Areas. Council will discuss in December what to do for a temporary solution for

designated smoking area when groups start meeting at the church in January.

Questions or Comments about the new church? If you have any questions or comments about the new building,

the Building Committee still wants to hear from you (sanctuary, chancel, narthex, Pilgrim Hall, church kitchen).

Please send comments to: build@somerscongregational.org. Anne Kirkpatrick

(abksomers@aol.com)

Somers Congregational Church’s Endowment “Birthday Club”

Have you had a BIRTHDAY in 2012? If so, NOW is the time to make your

contribution to the Church’s Endowment “Birthday Club”. The “Birthday Club” is a

way to increase our Church’s Endowment and celebrate your birthday by helping

others. Here’s how it works – On or around your birthday donate $1.00 (or more)

for every year that you are celebrating. If it is your 45th

birthday, write a check to

the church for $45.00 with a note saying “Birthday Club” on the message line. This

money will go into our Endowment to benefit the Church now and in years to come. You can also donate on a

spouse’s, child’s, grandchild’s, or any relative’s birthday. You can also donate for any reason such as: you want

to provide for the Church’s future, you need a tax deduction, the Church has a birthday, the country has a

birthday, etc.

Thank You for providing for our Church’s future!!!!

Soon the snow will fall and shoveling will be needed.

Can you help? If signing up for an entire week has kept you from volunteering in the past, we have a

solution! If you have a day off during the week or perhaps weekends are the only time

you have free, you can sign up for the one day each week during December-February that

you could shovel our sidewalks. There might be several people signed up for a day which

is okay ………. many hands make a job easier. Please consider helping the committee by

choosing your day. P.S. We still have our own snow thrower and 6 snow shovels that

you can use!!!

Contact the House and Grounds Committee or look for the sign up sheet at church.

houseandgrounds@somerscongregational.org

Constance DePeau died on Tuesday, November 13, 2012. A Memorial Service was held at Introvigne Funeral Home on Friday, November 16 and the Rev. Barry Cass officiated.

Somers Congregational Church

Building Committee – December 2012 Highlights

Building Committee Members: Jim Jewell, Pat Jones, John Jones, Diane Joseph (secretary), Tom Mehl, Sara

Mulvihill, Mark Marschall (Chair), Barry Cass ex-officio, Anne Kirkpatrick ex-officio. Donna Hanks will work

with us as Treasurer of the Insurance Committee.

The Building Committee continues to work with our architects, Clohessy Harris & Kaiser, LLC

(www.chkarch.com) and our construction manager, Petra Construction (www.petraconstruction.com) as the

design of the new Meeting House has been completed and turned over to Petra Construction. With the site

work well underway with Avery Construction, we are at the beginning of the four week period where we will be

pouring footings and the new foundation for the Meeting House. Forms have been constructed with rebar for

the footings and concrete has been poured for the first time on our site by Hop River Concrete. Crews are

currently building the forms for the foundation walls and concrete will be poured on scheduled days through

mid-December. Petra Construction has put the structural steel package out to bid and will be making their

contractor recommendation to the Building Committee soon. While the concrete work is being formed and

poured, Mike Mertz, Petra’s Site Superintendent, will take the proper precautions during the colder weather

days to ensure the concrete is set properly. Samples will be taken and tested by Materials Testing Inc. to ensure

the soils and concrete are within structural specifications. And, while this is being done, the structural steel

contractor will place the steel on order and Mike will ready the site for its delivery and erection.

As the construction work moves forward, Petra Construction will continue to review the different bid packages

and prepare them for bidding. This review will include the preparation of the Guaranteed Maximum Price

(GMP) to build our new Meeting House. As we mentioned last month, this is the “magic number” we’ve been

waiting to see and represents the maximum cost for the construction portion of building the Meeting House per

the design that was presented to them by CHK Architects. CHK Architects and Petra Construction have

presented their response to the insurance company with the background information requested to support where

their estimate differed from the insurance company’s estimate. We had requested an additional two weeks to

present this information to the insurance company so CHK Architects could complete the design work and

hand it off to Petra Construction so we didn’t incur any construction delays. We remain hopeful the factual and

specific information that has been prepared and shared with the insurance company will result in a favorable

settlement.

There were some “value engineering” changes made this month regarding the new electrical feed to the

building. As stated last month, a transformer will be placed on the southwest corner of the site with the feed

traveling underground on the west side of the Meeting House. This feed will now enter the Meeting House in

the southwest side of the Foundation Room and be distributed to the new Mechanical Room from there. The

power will be taken from a CL&P pole on the south side of the Bank of America property and we are awaiting

the DOT permits to run the power from the pole to the new transformer.

The Building Committee continues to work on several aspects of the project to finalize our plans. We have

received the proposals from The Verdin Company for the Sonata carillon and the new replica Meneely bell. We

have some minor changes to the made to the proposals so we can sign them and place these two items on order.

We are working with representatives from ADT, a division of Tyco, to obtain their opinion on how to secure the

church complex and to learn about security systems, camera systems, and card access systems. We are still in

the educational mode and no proposals have been made as of this writing. We are reviewing the lighting

schedule so we can finalize all the light fixtures, and we are reviewing how all the lighting will be operated

within all the spaces inside and outside of the building.

We are working with CHK Architects’ interior design team to review their recommendations for furniture, and,

with the help of our Finishes team, we are reviewing all the flooring materials and fabrics so we can make our

final selections. The Technology Committee continues to work with CHK Architects’ acoustical consultant on

the audio visual aspects of the project and significant progress continues to be made in this area. We continue

to interface with the Artifacts Committee regarding their ideas and how to incorporate them in different areas of

the project. There are so many details involved in this project, and we’ve tried to keep on top of them all so we

have a design that can be built with a minimum number of changes during the construction phase.

When we stated last month that we thought the end of October and the beginning of November would be the

busiest period since the start of our project, we didn’t realize what an understatement that would be. We know

how anxious everyone is to see the new Meeting House rise from the ground, and we want everyone to know

we share that desire and we are grateful for all the work done by CHK Architects and Petra Construction to get

us to this point. With the forms going up and concrete being poured, there is an excitement that we have

anticipated for a long time. It’s a great sight to see construction workers working on the site to build our

Meeting House’s new foundation. With winter coming, all the necessary precautions will be taken to maintain

a safe work site and to ensure that we will be constructing a quality Meeting House. Our construction manager

will continue to work with the Building Committee and our architect to monitor costs and perform “value

engineering” to reduce project costs whenever possible to present real savings to us. We continue to encourage

everyone to be alert and report anything that they feel is unsafe. The Building Committee will continue to

encourage communications via their e-mail address: build@somerscongregational.org which will remain active

for members of the congregation to communicate with us.

Respectfully submitted,

Mark Marschall

The “Silent Auction” will end on Dec. 2 after the

10AM Church service.

We appreciate all of the goods and services donated to the silent auction which will be

displayed at the Dec 1 Church Christmas Bazaar. Final bids will end on Sunday,

December 2nd. And the winning bids will be announced at that time. If you can’t be

present, we will contact you.

Here are just a few of the items that have been donated:

Auto detailing Computer cleaning & virus removal

Catering a meal or baked goods Christmas cookies

Drive someone to the airport Fancy doll house

Dump run Gift Certificates

Yard work Craft items

Baby sitting Durable goods appropriate for gifting

Pool water Art work

Anyone can bid by taking a number and writing that number along with a price on the

bid sheet for an item you wish to purchase. Anyone else wishing to purchase that item can

put in a higher bid and so on until the auction ends with the highest bid after church on

Sunday, December 2nd.

Please contact Ted Pero at 749-9580 or Jim Jewell at 763-1939 with your questions. Your

support is always appreciated as all funds will go to Somers Congregational Church.

YAKS Yaks are starting up again. The first

meeting will be on Saturday, December 1 from 6 to 9 pm in room

206. There will be pizza and a movie. Everyone in Grades 6, 7 & 8 are welcome. For more information or to sign up, you can call or email

Andrea Reid. b.reid@cox.net or 860-763-5875

Coming Soon! Online donations to the Building Fund…………..

The Finance Board and Church Council voted authorization to sign a contract with Vanco, so

that donations can be made online to our Building Fund. Details are being worked out

and soon anyone will be able to donate to the Building Fund using a credit card or direct

deposit from a checking or savings account. You will be able to schedule a one-time donation or

weekly/monthly etc. transactions similar to paying your bills online. This should be available

before December 15th.

www.somerscongregational.org The church website has weekly updates on the progress of the Meeting House. They can be

viewed by going to www.somerscongregational.org/restoration. You can also like us on

Facebook to be notified when the updates are posted.

Children's Christmas Gifts The Mission Board wants to thank you for your generous response to our

Christmas gift giving program. All the cards have been given out. If you didn't get a card and would like to donate, gloves, hats and mittens are

always in need.

The gifts are due Sunday Dec. 2 after both services and during that week at the church office. Please make sure the card is in the gift

bag when delivered.

Any questions, contact Sue @ 860-836-9702 Or Donna @ 860-306-6512

Memorial Poinsettias

Memorial Poinsettias can be ordered to beautify our worship space for

Christmas. You can specify individuals or special intentions that you

would like remembered. After they are used in the Church, the

poinsettias will be taken to sick or shut in members of the community

and enjoyed by them. You can also indicate if you would like to have a

poinsettia delivered to a specific person. Cost of donating a poinsettia is

$5 per plant. Please use this form to order your flowers.

Send or bring your order form to the Church Office by December 17.

Please make your check out to Somers Congregational Church.

Please Print. Name of Donor exactly as it should be listed in the bulletin:

Memorial or Intention as you would like it listed:

1.

2.

Total # of poinsettias ________ Total enclosed $ ________

Please indicate if you would like a poinsettia delivered to specific person:

Please deliver to a shut-in______

Will you be able to deliver this plant? ____ yes _____ no

Will you deliver other plants?_____ yes _____ no

I will take my poinsettia with me on December 23______

Celebrating the “Reason for the Season”

Christmas Bazaar Saturday, December 1th 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

You are cordially invited to attend our

Church’s Christmas Bazaar. The bazaar will be

highlighted by a Holiday Bake Sale, over 30 vendors of Arts and Crafts,

Wood crafts, Gourmet Foods, Handcrafted Clothing, Jewelry, Floral

Arrangements, Gift Baskets, Nativity Sets, Birdhouses, Poinsettias,

Holiday Chocolate & more. A luncheon will be served from 11 to 1

featuring your choice of four homemade soups, bread and a dessert. We

will be asking for baked donations and a sign up sheet will be available

during coffee hour. There will be a silent auction of service and

specialty items. This is a great place to buy the special one of a kind gift

at a reasonable price. Come, support and enjoy the food, fun and

fellowship on Saturday, December 1.

Deadline for Next Highlights is December 19, 2012.

U.S. Postage Paid

Non-Profit Org. Permit Number

334 Enfield, CT 06082

Somers Congregational Church

599 Main Street, PO Box 295 Somers, CT 06071

To Be Removed From Mailing List Check Here □ and Return.

Address Service Requested

Sunday Worship: 8:15 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Office Hours (M-Th.): 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Telephone: (860) 763-4021 Fax: (860) 763-5146 E-mail: somerscong@somerscongregational.org Web site: www.somerscongregational.org

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Barry Cass Administrative Secretary: Carly Sanborn Organist/Music Director: Jacqueline Nappi CE Director: Liz Scanlon Care Room: Barbara Anderson